Torment
"Listen."
"I don't hear anything, Jamie; what do you hear?"
"I think they’re comin again."
Trepidation filled Terry as he strained to hear. There was nothing. Nothing save for the usual scraping from Dave’s room next door. He turned toward Jamie and saw the lean man standing by the padded door.
“I hear em comin for ye. Time for yer meds, Terry my lad. Gona take a trip down smooth alley, sailing on imaginary fantasies while they play hide n seek with yer arse.”
Jamie turned and giggled in his direction, knowing how it unnerved him.
“Shut it, Jamie, you’re always so mean to me!”
Jamie fell silent and walked back to his bunk. Then, there came the sound of several footsteps approaching. Terry’s guts twisted into knots, his hands slick with sweat. Perhaps they weren’t coming for him this time. He tried to swallow but his throat was dry. He heard the footsteps approach steadily, each step echoed through his being. They stopped, all of them, by his door. He heard the murmur of voices as his tormentors discussed something. Then keys clanking against one another. Try as he might, he could not keep them back. Warm tears streamed down his cheeks, and he whimpered uncontrollably. He heard Jamie laughing beside him, and turned to see him smirking at him. Anger filled him at that moment, why did they spare this vile bastard and enjoy torturing him. None of it made sense.
”Ye ready there, Terry my lad? Ye better say those Hail Mary’s and Our Father’s.”
“What if they didn’t come for me Jamie? Maybe they’re here for you!”
Spittle flying from his mouth, he rose to his feet and bore down on Jamie. This time he didn’t care if they both got into trouble, he would beat the crap out of Jamie.
“Now, we both know they not comin for me, Jamie my boy. And if ye want to pull me in on yer trouble, fine… but I’ll hit ye so hard yer friends’ll feel it.”
The door opened as Terry lunged toward Jamie with balled fists. Jamie was bigger than he was, and taller. He avoided Terry’s loose punches and drove his large fist square into his midriff. The air flew out of him and before he could wince, Terry felt a second blow floor him. Four men entered the room, grasped Terry by his limbs, and dragged him from his cell.
“No I didn’t start it please let me go! It was Jamie he made me do it! Jamie, you bastard, I’ll get you for this!”
He was thrashing against his captors with all his might, but their grips were like iron. They said nothing only looked down at him with the contempt he was accustomed to. The light overhead in the passage was blinding in comparison to the twilight of his cell. He could hear Jamie laughing, and it increased his anger and frustration tenfold. He doubled his efforts and freed his right hand. Balling his fist, he struck out at the man who had been holding it, catching him below the crotch. The man howled with pain doubling over. He cursed severely, then removed a syringe from the folds of his white uniform. He yelled for the others to hold Terry down, as he plunged the needle of the syringe in his shoulder and injected its contents. Everything became a blur as Terry lost consciousness.
Terry awoke to an all familiar sight. He was restrained in an uncomfortable chair, with wiring along his bare chest and head. He did not try to struggle for he knew it was pointless. Turning his head as far to the right as his bonds allowed, he saw the man who called himself Dr. Green. He was adjusting nobs and dials on the apparatus connected to the wiring on Terry. He looked up and smiled as he met Terry’s gaze.
“You’re awake Terry, good. Now we may begin.”
”Why are you doing this to me Dr. Green? I’ve been good I swear I have!”
Fresh tears welled up in his eyes as he searched the doctor’s face for some sign of sympathy. There came none. The doctor merely smiled and adjusted a few more devices. Then he walked over to Terry with a clipboard and pen. He placed a chair directly across from Terry and crossed his legs.
“Tell me Terry, how’s Jamie doing?”
This was the drill. Every time they brought him here, the opening question was the same. How’s Jamie doing. If they really gave a damn about Jamie, he would be in the chair and not Terry!
“Jamie is still mean to me. He says the most awful things. Why don’t you ever take Jamie doctor? Why do you only take me and ask me questions about Jamie!”
Dr. Green sighed, and scribbled a few notes on his clipboard.
“Because Terry, Jamie does not exist. He is a delusion of imagination, and we are here to cure you of it. Now relax, this will only hurt for a bit.”